One of the most important health issues facing the world today is obesity. It is an important independent risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes. Harmine offers various pharmacological effects, such as anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor effects. The current study aims to investigate Harmine’s anti-diabetic and anti-adipogenic properties in albino mice after inducing low-grade inflammation with a high-fat diet (HFD). About forty-eight male albino mice were divided into four groups. Group 1: control mice were injected with daily saline and fed a normal chow diet of 21% protein for 5 months. Group 2: mice were treated daily with IP-injected Harmine (30 mg/kg body weight) and were fed a normal chow diet for 5 months. Group 3: mice were fed HFD to induce type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) for 5 months. Group 4: mice were fed HFD for 14 weeks and treated with Harmine for the last 6 weeks. A figh-fat diet caused a significant increase in body and organ weight, lipid profiles, and destructive changes within the pancreas, kidney, and liver tissue. The administration of Harmine led to a remarkable improvement in the histological and ultrastructural changes induced by HFD. The findings indicate that mice cured using Harmine had lower oxidative stress, a higher total antioxidant capacity, and a reduced lipid profile compared to HFD mice. Harmine led to the hepatocytes partly restoring their ordinary configuration. Furthermore, it was noticed that the pathological incidence of damage in the structure of both the kidney and pancreas sections reduced in comparison with the diabetic group. Additional research will be required to fully understand Harmine and its preventive effects on the two forms of diabetes.

Microplastic pollution has emerged to be a crucial environmental concern. Despite the growing body of research on microplastic ingestion in oceans and marine organisms, there is a knowledge gap concerning the effects of microplastic exposure on freshwater ecosystems, which support diverse communities of plants, animals, and microorganisms. The freshwater snail Biomphalaria alexandrina is a valuable model for dissecting the ecological impact of many pollutants in aquatic environments. This study aimed to investigate the impacts of ingesting microplastic particles on B. alexandrina, particularly focusing on polyvinyl chloride (PVC), widely used in plastic applications, piping, electrical, and vehicle equipment, which results in their frequent presence in ecosystems. A combination of behavioral, physiological, biochemical, and histological assessments revealed profound effects of microplastic ingestion by these mollusks. These effects include the accumulation of PVC particles in their intestines, a reduction in feeding behavior, decreases in survival and growth rates, disruptions in biochemical parameters, induction of oxidative stress, and histological damage to their digestive glands. Additionally, our data suggest that the adverse impacts are concentration-dependent, with higher PVC concentrations causing more severe harm. Our findings advance our understanding of the potential consequences of microplastic pollution in freshwater habitats and inform targeted mitigation strategies.

One hazardous heavy metal that causes oxidative stress is cadmium (Cd) and harms male reproductive function. Although various antioxidants have been explored for protection, the potential of Mesembryanthemum crystallinum ( M. crystallinum ) – a flavonoid and phenolic-rich halophyte- remains understudied in this context. According to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically SDG 3 on Good Health and Well-Being and SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production this novel research evaluated the protective potential of M. crystallinum aqueous extract (MAE) to mitigate cadmium chloride (CdCl ₂ )-induced testicular dysfunction. After acclimatization, Eight groups ( n = 5) of forty male rats were allocated into groups: (1) control; (2) CdCl₂ (2 mg/kg); (3) MAE 200 mg/kg; (4) MAE 400 mg/kg; (5) CdCl₂ + MAE 200 mg/kg; (6) CdCl₂ + MAE 400 mg/kg; (7) MAE (200 mg/kg) pre-treatment + CdCl₂; (8) MAE (400 mg/kg) pre-treatment + CdCl₂. For 14 days, oral treatments were administered. HPLC profiling revealed eight major phenolic compounds in M. crystallinum like quercetin and ellagic acid. CdCl ₂ exposure impaired sperm indices, reduced serum LH and testosterone and induced oxidative and histological damage with elevated caspase-3 and TNF- α expression. MAE treatment especially at 400 mg/kg restored hormonal levels, improved sperm quality, normalized antioxidant defense, and preserved testicular architecture. Molecular docking confirmed binding of hesperidin, rutin, and ellagic acid to apoptotic and inflammatory proteins. MAE may exhibit potent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-apoptotic activity, protecting against CdCl₂-induced reproductive injury. M. crystallinum represents a sustainable, plant based therapeutic candidate aligned with SDG-driven strategies for combating environmental toxicity-related infertility.

The study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary phycocyanin extracted from Spirulina Platensis (PSP) supplementation on the expression of antioxidant and immune associated genes, growth performance related parameters, blood biochemical components, and hematological profiles in Japanese quails ( Coturnix japonica ). A total of 320 male Japanese quails, 7 days old, were randomly assigned to four experimental groups, each consisting of four replicates with 20 quails per replicate (80 quails per group). The quails were fed basal diets supplemented with PSP at concentrations of 0 (PSP0), 1 (PSP1), 2 (PSP2), and 3 (PSP3) g/kg of diet. The results showed that quails fed diets supplemented with 3 g of PSP /kg diet had significantly better growth performance and feed efficiency compared to the other groups ( P < 0.001). Increasing dietary PSP levels resulted in a significant, dose-dependent improvement in hematological parameters ( P < 0.001). Dietary supplementation with PSP (1, 2–3 g/kg diet) resulted in a significant dose-dependent increase in total protein (TP), triglycerides (TG), globulins, and lysosomal activity ( P < 0.001). Conversely, serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), creatinine, total cholesterol (TC), and urea exhibited a significant, dose-dependent decrease with increasing PSP supplementation ( P < 0.001). Additionally, including PSP in the diets of Japanese quails led to significant improvements in small intestinal and liver morphology. Dietary supplementation with PSP significantly upregulated the mRNA expression of antioxidant defense genes (Catalase ( CAT ) and glutathione peroxidase ( GPX )). However, the mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokine genes, specifically interleukin 8 ( IL-8 ) and interleukin 1 beta ( IL-1β ), exhibited a dose-dependent decrease with elevated dietary phycocyanin extracted from PSP concentrations. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with PSP promotes growth performance and feed efficiency, enhances antioxidant defense, upregulates growth-related gene expression, and improves organ histomorphology.